Has the institution engaged in a structured assessment process during the previous three years to improve diversity, equity and inclusion on campus?:

Yes

A brief description of the assessment process and the framework, scorecard(s) and/or tool(s) used:

The University of Mississippi participated in the Diverse Learning Environments survey in 2017. "The Diverse Learning Environments Survey (DLE) captures student perceptions regarding the institutional climate, campus practices as experienced with faculty, staff, and peers, and student learning outcomes. Diverse student populations are at the center of the survey, and the instrument is based on studies of diverse student bodies and the complexity of issues that range from student mobility to intergroup relations." A campus climate asssessment will be conducted in fall 2019.

Does the assessment process address campus climate by engaging stakeholders to assess the attitudes, perceptions and behaviors of faculty, staff, administrators and students, including the experiences of underrepresented groups?:

Does the assessment process address employee outcomes related to diversity and equity (e.g. pay and retention rates for underrepresented groups)?:

No

A brief description of the most recent assessment findings and how the results are used in shaping policy, programs and initiatives:

The DLE survey found that UM is comparable to other universities classified as "Carnegie R1: Doctoral Universities – Very High Research Activity" institutions in terms of campus climate, with areas to improve in including positive cross-racial interaction, among others. An area in which UM ranked higher than comparable institutions was in its affirmative responses to the prompt, "Faculty empower me to learn." It should be noted that response rates for the DLE survey were low, and UM has planned a comprehensive climate assessment for fall 2019. The results of the DLE survey have been used in several ways. Two subcommittees of UM's Retention Advisory Board used the information as part of efforts to determine barriers to minority students from Mississippi in terms of first-year retention. A second subcommittee examined financial aid and financial resources related to retention and utilized DLE findings. The findings are also available to UM's Division of Diversity and Community Engagement to inform strategic planning, programming and services.

Are the results of the most recent structured diversity and equity assessment shared with the campus community?:

Yes

A brief description of how the assessment results are shared with the campus community:

The DLE survey results were shared with campus entities and faculty who do work related to diversity, inclusion and equity. The results of the survey are available to anyone affiliated with the UM community upon request.

Are the results (or a summary of the results) of the most recent structured diversity and equity assessment publicly posted?:

The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:

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Additional documentation to support the submission:

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The information presented here is self-reported. While AASHE staff review portions of all STARS reports and institutions are welcome to seek additional forms of review, the data in STARS reports are not verified by AASHE. If you believe any of this information is erroneous or inconsistent with credit criteria, please review the process for inquiring about the information reported by an institution and complete the Data Inquiry Form.

The Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System

(STARS) is a transparent, self-reporting framework for colleges and
universities to measure their sustainability performance.